Min Zhuozhou did not refuse the kiss.
They had been bound together by marriage for five years. Neither of them was a paragon of strict asceticism; everything that was supposed to happen had long since taken place, and most of the time, they were remarkably compatible. Min Zhuozhou never avoided physical contact with Pei Che. To him, this kind of closeness, essentially a mutual fulfillment of needs, contained nothing inappropriate.
Drunk as he was, even his bones felt soft. Min Zhuozhou sank effortlessly into the bed, passively accepting the kiss. It wasn’t until Pei Che, frustrated by the lack of response, began to kiss him with growing intensity that Min Zhuozhou finally cooperated, softly taking the tip of the other’s tongue into his own mouth as a slight concession.
It felt like a reluctant compromise.
Min Zhuozhou’s breath, steeped in the warmth of alcohol, caused Pei Che’s breathing to turn heavy. Yet, mindful of the sprained waist, Pei Che restrained himself after a long moment of indulgence. He pulled back, standing bathed in the room’s moonlit glow, looking down at Min Zhuozhou with a trace of dissatisfaction.
Noticing Min Zhuozhou’s low mood, Pei Che recalled Fu Zhen’s remark about certain troubles weighing on his mind just before leaving. He asked, What’s wrong?
Min Zhuozhou had no intention of laying his cards on the table. He leaned back comfortably, taking his time to admire Pei Che’s expression, soaking in every subtle nuance of the man’s restrained passion.
Pei Che caught Min Zhuozhou’s gaze. Those eyes, which had always captivated him, were now glistening under the influence of alcohol, reflecting a sliver of silvery moonlight. At a glance, they looked purely innocent; yet a closer inspection revealed that every curve of his eyelids was meticulously calculated, breathtakingly charming, yet deeply guarded.
Still… not quite the same.
Perhaps because of his reunion with Ji Subai tonight, which provided a far more direct point of reference, the thought surfaced uncontrollably in Pei Che’s mind.
The faint urge to possess Min Zhuozhou vanished without a sound. He raised his hand, brushing aside the messy strands of hair scattered across Min Zhuozhou’s forehead. His fingers settled over Min Zhuozhou’s eyes, gently tracing the outer corners to soothe him. I won’t force you to talk. Go to sleep.
Min Zhuozhou obediently closed his eyes. Yet Pei Che’s gesture had touched a sensitive nerve. He couldn’t help himself and asked softly, Do I look like him?
The question was asked in a faint voice, yet it sounded strikingly abrupt in the quiet bedroom.
What? Pei Che’s tone froze.
Do I look like him?
Even with his eyes closed, the image of Ji Subai’s face rose unbidden in Min Zhuozhou’s mind. The secret he had kept hidden all night was finally dragged into the open, voiced with unnerving composure:
Ji Subai, do I look like him?
Pei Che’s breathing slowed for a moment. For a split second, he almost suspected that Min Zhuozhou possessed some form of mind-reading ability, capable of piercing straight through a fleeting thought in his head.
A flicker of strange emotion flashed through his eyes, but he chose silence.
You and him…
Min Zhuozhou’s elegant brows furrowed slightly, as if he felt there was no need to make things so explicitly clear. After a moment’s consideration, however, he continued: Tonight, when I saw Mr. Ji with you, I couldn’t help making an unpleasant connection.
Min Zhuozhou didn’t meet Pei Che’s gaze. Instead, he drifted his eyes toward the floor-to-ceiling window bathed in moonlight, where the silhouette of an osmanthus tree outside was vaguely visible.
Five years ago, when we first met, you always loved to stare into my eyes, especially when you lost yourself in passion… So, am I to understand that you were merely searching for his shadow in me?
Min Zhuozhou was intimately familiar with every rule and technique of flirtation, while the look Ji Subai had cast his way was like a sharp, direct engraving tool; it had practically carved the word substitute onto his forehead.
Having drunk heavily tonight, he had intended to let the matter slip away. Yet a sliver of clarity remained detached from his intoxication, silently laying truth bare: even if he pretended to be completely unbothered in front of everyone else, the quiet ache in his chest was entirely real.
After all, if Pei Che truly treated him as nothing more than a stand-in, then those deep-seated, unspoken expectations he refused to admit to would become an absolute joke.
Pei Che pressed his lips into a tight, hard line. A forbidden nerve in his mind had been precisely and recklessly struck by Min Zhuozhou. Having not fully sorted out his own feelings yet, he found himself unable to offer an accurate response on short notice.
Actually, it’s nothing, Min Zhuozhou said softly, patiently confirming Pei Che’s silence. He generously extended the window for an answer as long as possible. Sadly, no response came. He had no choice but to shift his gaze back, let out a soft sigh, and offer a light, indifferent smile. By rights, given the nature of our relationship, I shouldn’t have crossed the line to ask.
Given the nature of our relationship?
Pei Che’s eyes darkened, finding those words deeply grating.
No.
Pei Che looked deeply into Min Zhuozhou’s eyes. His brow was tightly knit, revealing a cold sternness he rarely showed in front of Min Zhuozhou. Yet his voice remained as steady as possible, like a carefully considered answer:
It’s not what you think. I can tell you apart clearly, and I don’t harbor any thoughts of that kind toward him.
Oh, is that so… Then I overthought it.
Min Zhuozhou’s delicate eyelids drooped softly, hiding his emotions behind a gaze illuminated by the moonlight.
He knew Pei Che wouldn’t lie to him. Five years of living together had given Min Zhuozhou a thorough understanding of this man’s character. The elite education Pei Che had received since childhood made him disdain using lies to construct illusions.
As for no thoughts of that kind toward Ji Subai… what kind of thoughts, exactly? Min Zhuozhou didn’t bother to press further, though he understood it all too clearly.
Some people were meant to be kept in the heart, while others were merely suitable for passing the time. He happened to fit the role of fulfilling an adult’s normal physical needs; thus, Pei Che kept him around for mutual relief, devoid of genuine affection.
A contractual marriage, everything was built on the premise of an agreement. Those improper thoughts should have been drowned in endless silence to begin with.
Having consumed quite a bit of alcohol tonight, Min Zhuozhou felt an unexpected, overwhelming wave of fatigue. He no longer dwelled on the issue. Moving closer to Pei Che, he rubbed his soft, dark hair against the nook of Pei Che’s shoulder, signaling that the matter was quietly put to rest:
People tend to talk too much when they’re drunk. Please forgive the rambling of a drunkard, Mr. Pei.
Pei Che naturally wrapped his arms around him, just as comfortably as they had done over the past five years. His fingers rested at the back of Min Zhuozhou’s neck, stroking him gently as if caressing a cat.
The inexplicable restlessness rising in his heart only eased slightly when he felt the warm, comforting presence of Min Zhuozhou curling up beside him.
You really are drunk.
Pei Che lowered his head. He had originally intended to kiss Min Zhuozhou’s eyes as he used to, but changed direction at the last second, resting a gentle kiss upon his hair instead. It’s time for you to sleep.
True. I have to pick up Min Hua tomorrow morning…
Min Zhuozhou quietly composed his feelings. He stood up, preparing to go to the bathroom for a shower, only informing Pei Che as an afterthought: I have a show to work on recently. The shooting schedule falls on the weekends, so I might not be home during the upcoming weekends.
Go ahead. Just mind your injury.
Apart from disliking it when Min Zhuozhou was overly busy, Pei Che never interfered with his work.
Min Zhuozhou casually gave him an understanding look, then turned and walked into the en-suite bathroom to shower.
Pei Che watched him go, only to notice his phone resting nearby flicker slightly. He picked it up and saw a new notification on the screen.
It was a message from Ji Subai.
A-Che, are you asleep? Seeing you after all these years… I’m so excited I can’t fall asleep.
Pei Che opened the message and read the line. The intimacy and ambiguity dripping from the words made him frown, instantly sparking an urge to turn off the screen.
Min Zhuozhou’s intuition was sharp and accurate. He had precisely labeled Ji Subai as Pei Che’s ex-lover and was convinced that Pei Che remained lingering on old feelings,
Pei Che couldn’t refute this. After all, he knew very well that five years ago, when he was forced to meet his so-called arranged marriage partner, the moment he first laid eyes on Min Zhuozhou, or rather, the moment he saw those eyes that bore a striking resemblance to Ji Subai’s, his previous resolve to never invest any emotion had instantly shattered into pieces.
In everything that followed, to claim he hadn’t searched for Ji Subai’s shadow in Min Zhuozhou would be a lie.
Yet meeting Ji Subai again tonight, Pei Che found it difficult to recall the passionate fervor he felt toward his first love at eighteen. Gazing into Min Zhuozhou’s eyes had become a daily habit in his life, while the deliberate impulse to look for something from the past had long faded into obscurity.
Pei Che didn’t know what this shift implied. Ji Subai’s unannounced return was a sudden disruption, like a pebble coated in honey and malice thrown into a serene pond. The sudden ripples set the rusty gears turning once more, leaving him with a faint sense of panic as control slipped from his hands.
Pei Che stared silently at the message for a long time, yet in the end, he did not press delete.
When Min Zhuozhou emerged, drying his hair, Pei Che was sitting in the dark. The fluorescent light of the phone screen illuminated his face, making him look somewhat desolate from Min Zhuozhou’s perspective.
I made things difficult for him tonight, Min Zhuozhou thought quietly. He paused his movements, quietly adjusting his breathing to a steady rhythm. In his mind, he calculated the time, realizing that less than four months remained until their five-year contract expired.
Why are you standing there?
Pei Che raised his eyes and noticed Min Zhuozhou standing frozen in place. Water droplets dripped from his slightly long hair onto his elegant collarbone, soaking the thin sleepwear to reveal a faint blush of skin beneath.
Frowning, Pei Che set his phone aside and walked over. He caught hold of Min Zhuozhou’s wet hair and scolded lightly, Looks like your headache isn’t severe enough.
That slightly stern tone pulled Min Zhuozhou back to reality. He looked at Pei Che and skillfully offered a soft smile. I haven’t finished drying it yet.
Go inside and blow-dry it.
Pei Che led Min Zhuozhou into the bathroom, turning on the hair dryer without further argument to dry his hair.
The damp steam in the bathroom blurred the mirror reflection. Min Zhuozhou watched quietly, unable to resist reaching out to wipe away the mist, staring at their intertwined figures. He felt Pei Che’s fingertips gently threading through his hair, skillfully drying it for him.
Five years ago, Pei Che had no idea how to do such a thing. Yet time had stretched their occasional moments of tenderness, turning a drop of warmth into a subconscious habit.
These moments weren’t fake either.
Min Zhuozhou felt his mind wander again.
Over the years, Pei Che hadn’t been particularly passionate toward him, and even his desires were mild. Yet this man had genuinely provided him with protection and leverage to escape the Min family’s control. At certain moments, Min Zhuozhou didn’t feel as though Pei Che was entirely devoid of feelings for him.
Suddenly, as if making up his mind, Min Zhuozhou turned around and grabbed Pei Che by the wrist, pulling him close. The distance between them vanished instantly, leaving no room for air.
Pei Che looked into his slightly damp eyes. His heart skipped a beat before his brow furrowed again. In a moment, your hair will get caught in the blow dryer… mm…
A kiss cut his words short. Only heavy, ragged breaths remained, fiercely tangled together. Min Zhuozhou kissed him with urgent intensity, skillfully biting down on Pei Che’s lips, flirting with deep ambiguity. Within his ink-dark gaze, only the man before him existed.
Pei Che’s eyes narrowed sharply. Like a nocturnal beast finally capturing a soft, warm prey, his emotions broke free from the frozen silence, transforming into a fierce response.
Pei Che… you had better tell clearly who I am.
Leaving behind only a kiss, Min Zhuozhou panted softly, then pulled away and walked out.